Tender Loving Care is a 2026 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh. The film stars Kate O'Flynn, Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, and Alice Bailey Johnson.
Tender Loving Care had its world premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival on 4 September 2026, and is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom by StudioCanal on 12 February 2027. The film received positive reviews from critics.
Cast Kate O'Flynn as Amy Marion Bailey as Birdie Paul Jesson as Geoff Alice Bailey Johnson as Rosie Bríd Brennan Peter Wight Alan Williams Sandy Foster Amanda Lawrence Diveen Henry Ashna Rabheru Eva Holovko Kaedon Skerritt Tilly Vosburgh
Production In February 2026, it was reported that Leigh had concluded shooting his next film, along with the announcement of the core cast.
Leigh said that Tender Loving Care was "most likely" his last film, given the physical challenges caused by illness.
Release The film had its world premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival on 4 September 2026. It was also screened in Special Presentations section of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.John Hazelton, "Chris Rock, Yeon Sang-ho, Peter Farrelly titles among Toronto film festival galas and special presentations" . Screen Daily, July 20, 2026. It entered the main competition of the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival, where it won three jury prizes (the Golden Shell for Best Film, the Jury Prize for Best Screenplay, and the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance for Kate O'Flynn). It was also selected for the Main Slate of the 2026 New York Film Festival and in a headline gala of the 70th BFI London Film Festival.
It is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by Bleecker Street on 4 December 2026.
Reception Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Accolades AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)Result San Sebastián International Film Festival 26 September 2026 Golden Shell Tender Loving Care Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance Kate O'Flynn Jury Prize for Best Screenplay Mike Leigh SIGNIS Award Tender Loving Care
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